Air distribution system



w. A. ZUMBIEL 3,322,055 AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM May 30, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 12, 1964 May 30, 1967 w. A. ZUMBIEL AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Filed March 12, 1964 Maw BY M May 30, 1967 w. A. zumauzu. 3,322,055

AI'R DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed March 12, 1964 '5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR.

Wam- 4' BY Y M ea Mlim United States Patent Office Patented May 30, 1967 This invention relates to air distribution systems and particularly to distribution systems for transporting heated or cooled air to and throughout rooms of a building.

Usually, one of two types of air distribution systems is installed in a building to conduct heated or cooled air from a source to the area to be supplied. Both systems utilize duct work, usually fabricated from sheet metal, to channel the air to the rooms or areas to be heated or cooled. The main difference between the systems is that in one the duct work resides in the ceiling while in the other it is located in the walls. Also, in the former system, diffusers are usually employed at the air outlets to break up the emitted air streams while in the latter conventional grills are usually utilized.

A large part of the total cost of a heating and cooling system which utilizes either type of distribution system is attributable to the cost of fabricating and installing the duct work. This is in turn attributable to the high cost of the materials such as the sheet metal and to the skilled labor necessary to fabricate and install the duct work.

Unfortunately, even after the installation of either of the two conventional distribution systems, trouble free operation is not assured since several maintenance problems may arise as a result of using sheet metal duct work. The primary problem encountered results from the tendency for the sheet metal to promote condensation. Not only does such condensation frequently ruin the ducts, but the ceiling or walls of the building are often damaged.

To prevent condensation, the duct work is frequently covered after it is installed, with an insulating material such as fiber glass. Not only does the insulation appreciably increase the cost of the distribution system but trouble free operation is still not assured since frequently a section of the duct is inadvertently left exposed. Even if only a small section remains exposed, condensation will occur with the result that the ceiling, walls and electrical circuits will be subjected to the effects of the constant flow of water. Frequently, such effects are catastrophic, oftentimes causing an entire plastered ceiling or wall to collapse. At best, the water will produce a wall or ceiling that is visually dis-pleasing.

In attempting to eliminate the high cost of duct work and the problems attending its use, attempts have been made to devise a new method of channeling air whereby duct work is eliminated. However, such a solution until now has only created other problems. conventionally a pressurized ceiling plenum chamber has been substituted for the duct work. Although pressurized plenum chambers have frequently eliminated the duct work, the total cost of the air distribution system has not been appreciably reduced because of the cost of completely sealing the entire chamber. 7

It has therefore been an objective of this invention to create a low-cost air distribution system to channel heated or cooled air from a source to a room or an area of a room. In order to achieve this objective, it has been necessary to provide a system which may be installed without requiring major changes in the usual mode of constructing buildings.

These objectives have been accomplished by my air distribution system as a result of the discovery that a chamber, defined by a building roof, a ceiling spaced therefrom, and the building or room walls, may be used as an unsealed and unpressurized distribution chamber by employing conventional ceiling diffusers modified to accommodate an electrically driven fan with each diffuser.

One advantage inherent in this system is the decreased cost of installation of the air distribution system throughout the building since a pressurized chamber is not necessary and few, if any, deviations from conventional construction are required. Whatever costs may be increased due to the construction of the building in this manner are negligible and are especially insignificant in light of the costs saved by the elimination of the duct work. Not

. only does this new distribution system eliminate the high cost of the fabrication and insulation of the duct Work but additionally, maintenance and repair costs are elim inated as a result of the elimination of the condensation problem.

The various features, advantages and details of my invention will be more clearly apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a building which shows my new air distribution system,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ceiling that is shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view, taken along the lines 33 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the rear of the building that is shown in FIG. 3 showing a heating and cooling source, and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing a fan diffuser of the type employed in my new air distribution system.

An air distribution system constructed in accordance with my invention may be installed in any type of conventional building. For purposes of this explanation the illustrated building 9 is of a conventional external design, having as external surface members two side walls 10 and 11, a front wall 12, a rear wall 13, and a relatively flat roof 14 supported by transverse structural members 15. Its interior construction consists in part of a ceiling 17, spaced below and generally coplanar with the roof 14 and the structural members 15 and extending horizontally to the front and side walls 10-12. A partition or wall 18 extends vertically from the ceiling 17 to the floor 16 and separates the temperature controlled area 19 of the building 9 from an air source. Quite often such an air source will consist of an air conditioning unit 20 used in conjunction with a heater 21 so that either hot or cold air can be supplied to the area 19.

It can be seen from the drawings and particularly when reference is made to FIG. 1 that an air chamber 22 is defined by the exterior and interior construction of the building, namely the front and side walls 1012, the roof 14, and the ceiling 17. It can also be seen that one end 23 of the chamber is completely open. This air chamber 22 serves as a conduit between the heating and cooling sources 20-21, and the area 19 to be heated or cooled.

Although the air chamber 22 has been defined in relation to a single story building, it should be understood that a multiple story building could likewise be provided with my new distribution system. For instance, the horizontal dimensions of the air chamber of a top floor of a multiple story building could, as in the case of the single story building disclosed, comprise the roof and a ceiling spaced therefrom while for the floors below, the horizontal dimensions of the chamber could comprise the ceiling and a deck or false ceiling spaced downwardly therefrom. In other words, the ceiling of the floors below the top floor would be the equivalent of the roof of the top floor and likewise, the false ceiling of the lower floors would be.

the equivalent of the ceiling of the top floor insofar as the boundaries of the chamber are concerned.

The air chamber 22, bounded by the surface members 16-12 and 14, and the ceiling 17 is supplied with air by a duct 24 that connects the heater 21 and air conditioner 20 to the open end 23 of the chamber. Air discharge openings 25 in the ceiling 17 are provided in a number sutficient to accommodate the number of fan-diffusers 26 to be employed.

At each air discharge opening 25, conveniently mounted to structural members 15, is a fan difiuser 26. Such a fandiifuser 26 is shown in FIG. 5 and consists of a conventional diffuser 27, such as a Baker Colman 1428FS, that has been modified so as to accommodate a conventional electric motor driven fan unit 29. A suitable motor driven fan is produced by the Ilg Ventilating Company and designated as PD-l23. The fan 29 should have the same air distributing capacity as the difiuser 27. The total air distributing capacity of the fan-diffusers 26 is equal to the air distributing output of the heater 21 or air conditioner 20. Otherwise expressed, it a 2000 cubic feet per minute capacity air conditioner 20 is used, the total capacity of the fan-diffusers 26 or the sum of the capacities of the individual fan-diffusers 26 should be equal to that of the air conditioner 20 or 2000 feet per minute in this example. The individual air distributing capacities of the fan-difiusers 26 may vary so long as their total capacity is equal to the output capacity of the heater 20 or the air conditioning unit 21. For instance, it the output of the air conditioner 20 is 2000 cubic feet per minute, fandiifusers 26 having individual capacities of 100 cubic feet per minute and 5 fan-diffusers 26 having individual capacities of 200 cubic feet per minute could be used. Being able to use various capacity fan-diffusers 26 in the manner just described is especially beneficial Where it is desirable to supply more heated or cooled air to one area of a building than another. For instance, in the building 9 it would be desirable to have higher capacity fan-diffusers 26 in the front of the building than in the rear so that the front area would receive a larger amount of cooled air to compensate for the cooled air that would be lost when the door was opened.

Completing the air distribution system is at least one return air grill 30 that accommodates the vitiated air. If desired the return conduit may be omitted depending upon the air leakage of the building.

In the operation of my air distribution system, heated or cooled air from the heating or the cooling source 20-21 is discharged into the duct 24 and into the air chamber 22. The fans 29 pull the air through chamber 22 and propel it through the diffusers 27 into the area 19. A constant flow of air is thus assured since the total air distributing capacity of the fan-diffusers 26 is equal to the output of the heating unit 21 or the cooling source 26.

From the above disclosure of the general principles of the present invention and the preceding description, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend various modifications to which the invention is susceptible. Therefore, I desire to be limited only by the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In a room having at least four walls, a ceiling, a heating and cooling source having an air distributing output, an air distribution system comprising, a chamber defined by said walls, said ceiling and a false ceiling spaced therefrom, said chamber having at least one air receiving opening and a plurality of air discharge openings, and a fan positioned at each of the air discharge openings, said fans having a total air distributing capacity equal to the air distributing output of said heating and cooling'source, sad chamber being unsealed and of such construction that during normal operation of the air distribution system; the chamber operates at substantially atmospheric pressure.

2. In a room having at least four walls, a ceiling, a heating and cooling source having an air distributing output, a distribution system comprising, a chamber defined by said Walls, said ceiling and a false ceiling spaced therefrom, said chamber having at least one air receiving opening and a plurality of air discharge openings, and a fan positioned at each of the air discharge openings, said fans having a total air distributing capacity equal to the air distributing output of said heating .and cooling source and used in conjunction with and attached to a diffuser, said chamber being unsealed and of such construction that during normal operation of the air distribution system the chamber operates at substantially atmospheric pressure.

3. In a room having at least four walls, a ceiling, a heating and cooling source having an air distributing output, a distribution system comprising, a chamber defined by said Walls, said ceiling and a false ceiling spaced therefrom, said chamber having at least one air receiving opening and a plurality of air discharge openings, and a fan positioned at each of the air discharge openings, said fans having a total air distributing capacity equal to the air distributing output of said heating and cooling source and used in conjunction with and attached to a difiiuser, said diifuser hav ing the same air distributing capacity as the fan it is used with, said chamber being unsealed and of such construc-.

tion that during normal operation of the air distribution system; the chamber operates at substantially atmospheric pressure.

4. An air distribution system for conducting heated or cooled air from a heating and cooling source having an air distributing output to a room of a building comprising, an air chamber defined in part by a pair of parallel partitions located in a horizontal plane and coextensive in area with the horizontal area of said room, one of said parallel partitions defining the ceiling'of said room, said air chamber having at least one air receiving opening and a plurality of air discharge openings, and a fan positioned at each air discharge opening, the total air distributing capacity of said fan's being equal to the air distributing output of said heating and cooling source, said chamber being unsealed and of such construction that during normal operation of the air distribution system; the chamber operates at substantially atmospheric pressure.

5. An air distribution system for conducting heated or cooled air from a heating and cooling source having an heating and cooling source, said chamber being unsealed and of such construction that during normal operation 7 of the air distribution system; the chamber operates at substantially atmospheric pressure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,320,978 6/1943 Palmer 98-10 X 3,099,200 7/1963 Harrison 9840 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

I OHN F. OCONNOR, Examiner.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ROOM HAVING AT LEAST FOUR WALLS, A CEILING, A HEATING AND COOLING SOURCE HAVING AN AIR DISTRIBUTING OUTPUT, AN AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM COMPRISING, A CHAMBER DEFINED BY SAID WALLS, SAID CEILING AND A FALSE CEILING SPACED THEREFROM, SAID CHAMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE AIR RECEIVING OPENING AND A PLURALITY OF AIR DISCHARGE OPENINGS, AND A FAN POSITIONED AT EACH OF THE AIR DISCHARGE OPENINGS, SAID FANS HAVING A TOTAL AIR DISTRIBUTING CAPACITY EQUAL TO THE AIR DISTRIBUTING OUTPUT OF SAID HEATING AND COOLING SOURCE, SAD CHAMBER BEING UNSEALED AND OF SUCH CONSTRUCTION THAT DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF THE AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM; THE CHAMBER OPERATES AT SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. 